SOL National struggles a sign of things to come?

Tuesday

When the season began a few weeks ago, a couple of different coaches within the Suburban One League’s National Conference warned that things were not going to be the same this year.

“This is a different season,” one head coach warned. “Just watch.”

In this case, different does not always mean better. And so far in 2011-12, the SOL National has taken its fair share of lumps through the first three weeks of the campaign.

As a collective group, the National is 17-25 as play halted for the Christmas holidays over the weekend. The three teams that had fought for the conference title last year - Bensalem, Council Rock North and Neshaminy — were a combined 3-13 and had yet to win a game against a nonconference foe (0-for-10.)

Perhaps more alarming was this: Against nonleague foes, where the SOL National powers had feasted in recent years in earning high District One Class AAAA seeds, the entire conference was merely 9-17.

Is this a trend or an incomplete sample size?

“I still think it is too soon to tell,” CR North coach Derek Wright said. “We’ve had a really tough schedule to start and we’ve got some new faces that we’re trying to get comfortable with their roles.”

“I honestly feel like it remains to be seen what happens,” CR South coach John Easterly said. “There is no doubt in my mind that the (Continental) is the strongest of the SOL leagues right now.

“I still think it remains to be seen who is going to become the power here. I know that Pennsbury and Abington are stronger than a lot of people gave them credit for.”

Part of the reason for the nonleague sluggishness could just be fitting new pieces into place. For example, Neshaminy (0-6) is still trying to juggle things around to fill the gap left when senior guard and Villanova recruit Ryan Arcidiacono was lost for the year with a back injury.

“I like the fact that our kids hustled and played hard in all of our games,” Neshaminy coach Jerry Devine said. “The one thing we’ve got to avoid is pressing and trying too hard to make it happen.

“But in my mind, the division is certainly not as top-heavy as it was in the past. I think that will make for some exciting basketball down the stretch.”

Beyond the arc

n Council Rock North received a new player this week when the transfer paperwork on former Roman Catholic guard Rip Engel (a Newtown resident) was approved, granting him eligibility for this season.

“Everything went through this week, he tried out for the team and he made it,” Wright said. “But I don’t know when he’ll start playing. We’re going to take it slow. I’ve never been through this situation before, so we’ll take it day by day.”

Engel averaged about seven points a game for the Cahillites in 2010-11.

n The list of games this week across the southeastern portion of the state seems lighter than it has been in years.

There could be many reasons for the change. Some have blamed the trimming of the PIAA schedule for most teams vacating their tournament. Others are citing the influx of showcase tournaments throughout the year as slowly killing them off.

But finances are probably the largest reason that schools don’t travel for tournaments or want to host them. “It costs money to open the building and get people to work over the holidays,” Easterly said. “I’m sure that’s a big part of the reason.

n You want a reason for Holy Ghost Prep’s success in the early going? Look no further than defense. The Firebirds haven’t allowed a team to break 50 on them so far through six games. They have scored in the 50s in five of the six contests so far.

Games to watch

With Bensalem’s Dick Dougherty tournament on hiatus this year, the lone tourney of local stature this week is the Jack Schott Holiday Classic at Holy Ghost Prep.

In the first game on Wednesday night at 5:30, it will be Conwell-Egan against Masterman. In the nightcap, it will be Bristol vs. HGP.

Thursday’s schedule will go with the consolation game at 5:30 and the championship game at 7.